I promised a post today…

... And the day is not over yet.

Today I had a major cleaning-attack! For some reason, I cleaned the kitchen like a maniac! I pushed the fridge, the stove and the washing machine and did like four or five soap “turns” everywhere including the floor, which took me ages to wash away with water, obviously… Then I attacked the balcony which looked like a freaking sand box with all the storms we’ve had recently! And finally packed. Because today we’re flying to Beirut. We’ll be staying a week and then back to Dubai. The trip was kind of unexpected but necessary and we finalized everything last night. Right now, I’m typing this post as I am sitting at the Lounge in Dubai Airport… Did I hear pix?

Two Vids I've got to share!

I'll probably be writing something later today, but in the meantime, I would like to invite you all to enjoy two very entertaining videos:

The first is a Facebook Etiquette learning video (very, very helpful) 

:-)

The second is a trailer of a never-seen movie I read about in Reuters yesterday:

Fear of High School Reunion? Hire a Stripper

Fear a high school reunion? Hire a stripper

Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:20pm EDT

By Bob Tourtellotte

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedy writer Andrea Wachner hated the idea of going to her 10-year high school reunion so much that she hired a stripper to go instead, and what followed, she says, was a comical study in human nature.

Her story is detailed in a nearly 40-minute documentary directed by Wachner that, because of issues surrounding its length and getting approval to show it from former classmates, may never be seen -- not even by her parents.

But the 31-year-old Los Angeles resident said on Friday she hopes it will someday and even if not, Hollywood already has come knocking on her door.

She has written a feature film script based on her story, is trying to sell a reality TV show from it, has appeared on cable news channel CNN, and is scheduled to be on ABC's morning chat show "Good Morning America" next week.

"I've been so lucky throughout this whole experience. Everything that could go wrong, went right," she told Reuters. "I love the way it all turned out."

But some of her classmates don't.

"There have been a few people that were pretty vitriolic, and I have received some angry letters," she said.

In 1995, Wachner graduated from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in an upscale Los Angeles-area neighborhood and never looked back. She left for New York City, where she attended New York University, graduating in 2000.

When she received the invitation to attend her 10-year reunion, she said she would not have dreamed of going because she hated her years at the school, where BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars were prized possessions.

DRINKING, DRAMA AND DANCE

She claims that at school, fellow students' drinking alcohol was a problem and eating disorders were common. She said academic competition was tight and the overall environment was "a pressure cooker."

Wachner didn't want to go back to all that, but she did want to see how people would react if the self-described "drama geek" showed up a changed woman -- a stripper, no less.

So, she hired Amy Bernadette "Cricket" Russell, whom she met at a Los Angeles strip club, to impersonate her. Cricket showed up in a slinky dress, fishnet hose and spike heels.

As the drinks flowed, Cricket's clothes came off, and Wachner watched from a hotel room above the event, linked to her impersonator via wireless radio, TV cameras and a monitor.

Wachner coached Cricket through the night, telling her the names of people she met and providing her with little secrets that only Wachner and her former classmates would know.

Judging from the film's promotional trailer, which can be seen here a few people may have been fooled and a few were not. Andrea -- make that Cricket -- got one invitation for a private performance.

Wachner said she did not set out to embarrass or make fun of classmates. Rather, she wanted to see how they would react if their old stereotype of Wachner as a "drama geek" was turned upside down, when she emerged from the cocoon of high school as an uninhibited artist and exotic dancer.

"I love taking things that exist in the world as given -- things that are mainstream, notions that people take for granted -- and making people re-think them," she said.

While she may not be as big a name as Web sensation Susan Boyle, who skyrocketed to fame this month after a video of her appearance on "Britain's Got Talent" went viral online, Wachner is nevertheless overjoyed with the outcome.

And why not? Palos Verdes Peninsula High is a distant memory, and now Hollywood beckons.

(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Une journée qui commence bien

… C’est une journée qui commence à 5h du mat pour se préparer à temps, prendre un taxi pour un trajet de 45 minutes vers l’auto-école et rater son permis pour la deuxième fois. 

Comme la fois dernière, j’étais la première à démarrer et j’ai dû donc sortir du parking de nouveau mais avec un petit bonus ce matin: une voiture garée en double file collée a mes fesses. Apparemment, je devais faire un zigzag pour sortir. 

D’abord que deux fois de suite je sois la première, ça c’est un sacré coup de bol. 

Et un crétin qui gare une voiture en double file et bloque une autre voiture sur laquelle est écrit: « Attention! Student Taking Driving Exam » non seulement à l’heure des tests mais en plus dans le parking de l’auto-école où tout le monde est (en général) obligé de suivre le code de la route, il faut le faire! 

Mais que cette voiture sois garée juste derrière celle que je dois prendre, ça c’est plus de l’ironie, c’est carrément une conspiration!!

Bon je sais, j’exagère, mais quand même quoi… C’est vrai que tout ça, c’est gérable du point de vue psychologique. On est toujours stressés aux examens et bon il est vrai que dans la vie, il faut pouvoir s’adapter aux situations agaçantes, surtout quand il s’agit de prendre le volant. 

Par contre, que l’examinatrice soit une vraie petite salope, alors ça, je suis pas obligée de le digérer!

À la fin de notre petit tour en tuture, je savais que j’avais raté le permis. Le truc du parking c’était fatal, grave. On est allées au bureau, comme d’habitude et l’examinatrice nous a appelées une à une pour les commentaires. J’entre et là elle me déballe son discours en dialecte émirati et moi qui comprends un mot sur deux je réponds en anglais (comme partout ailleurs à Dubai). Et là il n’est plus question de mes aptitudes de conductrice mais de mes facultés linguistiques! Oui, oui, parfaitement. « Je n’aime pas les Arabes qui ne parlent pas Arabe. Et pourquoi est-ce que tu réponds en Anglais? Tu n’aimes pas la langue Arabe? Tu ne la trouves pas belle? Tu n’es donc pas au courant que l’Arabe est la langue officielle des Émirats et que tous les fonctionnaires du secteur public (donc elle y-compris) communiquent en Arabe? » (Ce qui est tout à fait ridicule et erroné: la majorité de la population à Dubai vient de l’étranger – d’Europe, d’Afrique, des Amériques, et surtout de l’Asie et même s’il est vrai que l’Arabe est la langue officielle, tous les fonctionnaires doivent également parler Anglais si non les 3/4 de la population ne pourraient rien faire). 

J’ai dû expliquer que j’ai passé toute mon enfance en France et que je ne m’exprime pas bien en Arabe et tout ça en gardant mon calme et un certain degrés d’amabilité parceque je l’avais déjà mentionné dans le billet précèdent, on ne peut pas changer nos examinateurs et je voudrais bien passer mon permis de mon vivant! 

Ce que j’aurais voulu dire c’est « espèce d’ignorante fanatique, intolérante et coincée, la langue Arabe diffère d’un pays à l’autre et ce que tu parles ce n’est pas de l’Arabe c’est du dialecte Émirati et en tant qu’Arabe je ne dois pas forcément le comprendre! Alors tu veux parler Arabe et me faire la morale, parle en Arabe soutenu. »

Mais au moins maintenant je comprend pourquoi elle m’a fait la gueule la dernière fois quand je lui ai demandé de me traduire en anglais un mot qu’elle avait dit alors que je conduisais.

Un petit background sur la langue Arabe: L’Arabe écrit/lu qui est considéré comme « l’Arabe », ou ce qu’on appelle Arabe soutenu, n’est pas l’Arabe parlé. Comme partout dans le monde, chaque ville et village a un accent particulier mais de plus chez les Arabes, chaque pays à un dialecte différent. Il est vrai que les pays voisins parlent des dialectes très proches. Donc même si les Libanais parlent libanais, ils comprennent le syrien ou le palestinien par exemple. Les Égyptiens parlent égyptien bien entendu, et comme dialecte, ce n’est pas aussi proche du libanais mais les deux restent quelque peu similaires. Par contre, les pays du Golfe s’expriment en ce qu’on appelle « Khaliji » et comme dialecte c’est complètement différent du libanais par exemple.

Mais ça existe aussi ailleurs, alors pour mettre les choses en perspective francophone : c’est comme si un québécois demandais à un français de comprendre tout ce qu’il raconte ou vice-versa. Et bein quoi? Les deux parlent bien français non? Et la langue officielle est bien la même non? 

Ah l’ignorance… L’intolérance… Le racisme… Le fanatisme… Toutes les qualités qui font de certains des êtres tellement plus… Je me tais. 

----

UPDATE ON THE GIRLS I HAD MENTIONED IN LAST WEEK'S POST:

LA FILLE DONT JE PARLAIS DANS MON BILLET LA SEMAINE DERNIÈRE, CELLE QUI AVAIT RATÉ SON PERMIS POUR LA 11ÈME FOIS ; ELLE ÉTAIT AVEC MOI DANS LA MÊME VOITURE CE MATIN… ET ELLE L’A RATÉ POUR LA 12ÈME FOIS… SI… SI… LA PAUVRE! ON S’EST DONNÉES RENDEZ-VOUS MERCREDI PROCHAIN! 

:-D LOOOL

THE GIRL I HAD MENTIONED IN LAST WEEK'S POST, THE ONE WHO HAD FAILED HER DRIVER’S LICENSE FOR THE 11TH TIME WAS WITH ME IN THE SAME CAR THIS MORNING… AND SHE FAILED AGAIN FOR THE 12TH TIME… YES… YES… POOR GIRL! WE AGREED TO MEET AGAIN NEXT WEDNESDAY! 

:-D LOOOL

THE OTHER ONE, WHO HAD FAILED 7 TIMES DID NOT SHOW UP WHEN I WAS THERE… SO I HAVE NO NEWS ABOUT HER… I HOPE SHE FINALLY PASSED! 

Road Trippin'

Taken by Rouba Abouzeid
On Sunday, April 26, 2009
Road Trip Muscat (Oman) - Dubai (UAE)

my hot spicy sis'

Visit my hot spicy sis'

(if you are not her, and someone else actually reads my blog!! :-P)

Visitez ma sœurette
(si vous n'êtes pas elle et que quelqu'un d'autre lit mon blog!! :-P)

AND VOTE FOR HER BLOG ON COSMO
ET VOTEZ POUR SON BLOG SUR COSMO

And in honor of this message being dedicated to nouce

here's my new ✮golden puma✮

Scrubs' Gay Baby Test :-)

I was just watching this and had to YouTube it :-) Just check the baby's moves!! Awesome!! LOOOL

Nouvelle Rubrique | New Category

God's infinite... 

... Irony :-)

What? You thought I was going to say "love", or "wisdom" didn't you? :-)

Well, God in his infinite "love" for men and infinite "wisdom" and knowledge of mankind, understands the importance of a good laugh... Hence his infinite irony! 

There. Happy? :-)

This category will tell true stories I've heard or witnessed, answering the eternal philosophical question:

Is God a funny dude?

OK, so, when you're a loser who'se been enganged to a girl for seven years and she finally dumps you and runs for her life while you idiotically decide to follow her around the globe (well to one country, but still, you took an airplane to get double-dumped) and then; in the the midst of "getting her back", you sleep around and get some dumb girl pregnant; marry the mother of your child and finally, your baby-girl... ends up sharing her birthday with your ex-fiancee (nice yearly reminder of how you screwed up your life); well yes, that's God being ironic!

Come on, admit it... 

God is one funny dude! Gotta love him! :-)

OK, I'm  not totally evil, and of course I've got experiences of my own with God's irony :-) And you can always count on me to share :-)

Right now, can't help but remember Le Coup De Bol on my birthday... A similar story happened today. I had already mentioned getting my period two days ago. But it was as if nothing had happened (physically I mean, because emotionally, I'm a train wreck these days). But thankfully, there was no abdominal pain or cramps and most importantly, my legs were fine. Usually they get so heavy I can't even lift them anymore!

But today, on the day I have to wake up at 5:30am and leave home at 6:30am to reach my driving exam location by 7:00am; well it’s today, on my unusual third day of the cycle that all these pains start! 

Background Health Note: 

This is the first cycle after my last curettage and I was kind of worried these past couple of days because my period seemed "light". Usually day one is the worst and then, the following three days pass by almost unnoticeable. But there you go. I worried for nothing. Today is actually like my usual first days only heavier (which is normal after a curettage; been there, done that!). Back to our story.

I couldn’t move when I woke up. Finally, with as much effort as possible, I got dressed and sat in a fetus position on the couch awaiting the call from the cab driver picking me up. Of course, my legs were useless and my abdomen cramps were unbearable and I think my belly was going to explode! 

Seriously, no pants would fit and I settled for one of my pregnancy jump suits! Yes, there! I said it! In the unbearable heat of Dubai, I was wearing a long sleeve sweat-shirt because I can’t take my chances with the air conditioning and despite it being on in the car, I was sweating like a pig in the taxi, holding my stomach the whole time and unable to move the entire 40 minutes it took us to reach the exam center. 

We finally get there and I find two other girls already waiting. We got to talking and I discover that the first one is there for the 7th time attempting to get her license! You think it’s bad? The second was there for the 10th time!! And to save you the suspense, they both failed and will be back next week to try again. Nope, it’s no typo. There’s no exclamation point because it’s no surprise; despite the fact that trainers keep telling us every single day that we are good drivers, and that we shouldn’t worry, and that we will pass, and blablablablabla. 

I asked the girls why they didn’t ask to change examiners since it’s the same one failing them over and over. Turns out, you need to go through a tedious procedure of changing schools and moving your file and stuff before you can switch exam centers (the RTA – Roads and Transport Authority which is the governmental body to organize exams and give licenses has examiners in each schools, testing the students of that particular establishment on location; they are not employed by the school though, obviously, and you never meet them until you get a road test; they are like VIPs in closed offices with locked doors on which you find very friendly notices such as “DO NOT ENTER – RTA STAFF ONLY” or “RTA Examiner – Students not allowed”).

So here’s how it goes. Four women get in the same car and they drive around the area (on nearby roads and even a highway with regular traffic -- and when I say "regular" I mean regular in that particular area which is not residential; it's like an industrial zone with heavy traffic mainly consisting of construction trucks and lorries) and then get back to the school where the examiner will give feedback. 

Since I must be the luckiest girl alive, the examiner calls my name first so I’ve got to take the car out of its parking spot, exit the center premises and get on the road. It was actually fine. Much better than I imagined it would be considering the amount of pain I was in. 

I played my little one-woman show as planned (because instructors tell us to always do this routine in large, visible movements, even if no adjustment is needed, to show the examiner you know the drill): Sit, Seat Belt, Seat Adjustment, Steering Wheel adjustment, Center Mirror Adjustment... And the freaking hand break!!!!! My God! Everyone kept saying "mirrors, mirrors, mirrors" and I forgot the freaking hand break, which I never do by the way!!  How could I forget it?!?! I'm such an idiot! Well, actually I'm such a hormonal idiot! 

I was in such a hurry to get it over with so I could go to the back seat, assume my fetal position and just hold my stomach until I hopefully faint and stop feeling the cramps anymore! 

Anyway, I knew I had failed just there. But of course, I still needed to go on my little ride because she should check everything to tell me all my mistakes and what I should focus on next time.

So we’re on the road and all's fine for a while. Then she asks me to change lanes which I do and find myself on the middle lane which can only take me to a left turn (the left being for a U-turn and the right reserved for those continuing straight) and I make the mistake of asking her “I go left?” … And she replies “Have you even taken lessons?”…  Mmmh… Ok… That went well. So I make my turn and now in addition to the cramps and leg pains, I have urges to just slap her!

Anyway, needless to say I’ll be seeing her pretty face again next week. 

But next week, I won’t be “menstrual-sweating” and hopefully I’ll stay focused. God Willing. Crossing fingers. Touching wood. Is there anything else I can do to ensure some good luck?

So back to our topic: Yes. Getting your period on the worst possible days (like when you’re on vacation/honeymoon in Paris, oui, oui, je suis très chanceuse; on your 30th birthday; or on your very first driving exam) is definite divine irony. 

God is a funny dude indeed. Still love him! :-) After all, he’s providing me with very provocative (lol, yeah right!) and unusual material to write about :-P Gotta appreciate the help! ;-)

As I write this, I’m lying on the couch, covered in my winter blanket cramping and shivering (although it’s freaking hot outside!!) and thinking that I nag too much! :-P

P.S.  I do know I deserved to fail though :-)

STRESSED AS HELL!

Stressed? 

There's your understatement of the year!! 

Every single day I have to deal with this @#$&$% of a driving school, is a f%^$ed up day gone down the toilet!! I just want to do this stupid exam, hopefully pass and get my license and never have to deal with these people again, ever!! 

For the record, I was very happy this morning. Got up smiling. Made my hubby coffee... Real coffee people, Turkish coffee, not the instant stuff... The house smelled great (because of the coffee, duh!) And enjoyed a few hours of nice, calm "waking up" time. Until.... Until that fatal phone call. I should burn all my phones! They only bring trouble!

My advice to all the young people out there... Even if you don't need a car (like me in my 20s, God I miss the good old days) just get your damn license anyway!! 

I think that going through this at 30, when my patience is not what it used to be (although I think it was always kindda thin) is making this whole experience so much more scarring! Ok, fine, scarring is a bit of an overreaction, but still... I'm mad as hell! :-@

Or is it because I just got my period yesterday and I'm totally hormonal?... 

Anyway, this day sucks (and it hasn't even started yet!!)

VDM - FML

When I started blogging, I got introduced to VDM (Vie de Merde) which is the equivalent of FML (F**k My Life) and I've been following the latter on Twitter, reading almost every day the stupid things people send :-)

Today I decided to check VDM which I had not visited in a long while. 

And it's a good thing I did because the stuff I found were hilarious!!! :-)

Aujourd'hui, je me fais contrôler par un policier. Après m'avoir demandé mon nom de famille, il me demande comment ça s'écrit. "Avec un crayon" n'aurait peut-être pas été la meilleure blague à faire à un policier. VDM

Aujourd'hui, pour faire une blague à mon frère, je me suis cachée sous son lit. Quand il est arrivé dans sa chambre je suis sortie en criant "BOUH !". Il a eu tellement peur qu'il m'a jeté dessus ce qu'il avait dans les mains. Le chat. VDM

Aujourd'hui, et comme depuis trois ans, je me suis reveillée une fois de plus en ayant mal dormi à cause des ronflements de mon copain, qui refuse que je porte des boules Quiès. Motif : il a peur que je les perde en dormant, qu'il les avale et meure en s'étouffant avec. VDM

Aujourd'hui, ma cousine de cinq ans s'ennuie, elle me propose donc de jouer à chat. Peu motivé, je lui dis d'inventer elle-même une nouvelle version, histoire de me surprendre. Cinq minutes après, je me retrouve à saigner de la cuisse. Effectivement, "chat-fourchette", ça m'a surpris. VDM

And one in English just for fun :-)

Today, as police officer and I saw a man 20 stories up standing at a window ready to jump off. I quickly remembered my training and went and got my megaphone then proceeded to "talk him down" for 15 minutes as civilians watched. Only then did he slowly descend on a rope. He was a window cleaner. FML

Today, I found myself wondering about...

... Schizophrenia

Well not exactly schizophrenia, but that is how I usually describe myself when I'm hormonal. And it seems I'm hormonal quite often:

Let’s say that in a given month;

1. there are 30 days 
   
2. my period lasts 5-7 days 
   
3. my PMS lasts 7 days (it’s longer than that in reality but we’re just assuming for argument's sake now)
   
4. And let’s also assume there’s a Post-MS which lasts 7 days (which in my case is not an assumption but a reality)

I was never good in math but it looks like;

30-7 = 23-7 = 16-7 = 9

That seems about right:

I’ve got 9 days of “normality” left

Today was not one of the aforementioned 9 days.

Twitter Tips for New Twitter Friends ;-)

FOLLOW...

Twitter is a platform to share with the world, a few words at a time. So "following" someone is actually being "connected" to that person. "Followers" will receive live updates each time one of the friends they follow posts something new.

TWEETS...

They're the short messages you post on your Twitter profile; the words you broadcast to the world :-)


@ABOUZEID... or the magic words :-)

When one of my "followers" or anyone else for that matters types the magic words "@abouzeid" I will automatically have access to the particular post containing these words via my Twitter personal menu (on my home page).

On Twitter, you can only post to your page so when you post a reply, it only appears on your Twitter profile. Not on the page of the person you're replying to.  

Since Twitter broadcasts to the world (unless you're using Direct Messaging) that means that replies will appear in the middle of a million other posts so using the magic words "@abouzeid" will allow me to quickly find replies specifically addressed to me.

That's why when you are  reading a post and you roll over it with your mouse, a small arrow appears on the side. It is the "Reply" arrow. If you click on it, it will automatically add the "@" with the name of the Tweet's owner next to it. That way you can type your reply next to these "magic words" and make sure your recipient will actually view your answer.

Actually, on Twitter, when/if a person has a Twitter profile, you mention them in your posts using the magic words. So if you want to tell everyone you're accompanying me to the next Cannes Film Festival, you simply Tweet "Going to Cannes Film Festival with @ABOUZEID" and there you go, the whole world knows! ;-)

Last but not least, placing the "@" before the person's name turns this name into a link and people can click on it and find themselves on that person's Twitter profile.

RETWITTERING / RETWITTING...

That is the whole purpose of Twitter: MORE BROADCASTING. When you read a Tweet you like, you can "forward" it on your profile starting your post with "RT" which stands for "Retwittering". So basically, if let's say you read "Won my first Oscar!" on my profile and you want the whole world to know about it, you simply post 

"RT @abouzeid Won my first Oscar!"

That way people know you are forwarding from @ABOUZEID's profile and that these words were actually @ABOUZEID's Tweet. 

"Retwittering" helps people find new friends, expand everyone's followers list and basically means you're a nice Twitter buddy :-)

So go ahead! Twitter away people!! ;-)

Sound of Music | Central Station Antwerp (Belgium)

Les pigeons

Ma petite sœur chérie vient d'écrire un billet sur les pigeons parisiens et les malheurs qu'ils lui causent. Alors forcément, moi, ça m'inspire tout ça.

Mon blog, il commence bien à ressembler à un habitat pour les oiseaux avec Twitter un peu partout, et maintenant, les pigeons.

Bon, Twitter il est quand même bleu (ma couleur préférée) et il est tout mimi donc ça va... Par contre les pigeons, beurk!

Est-ce que les oiseaux sont un mauvais présage? Parceque là ça va quand même en faire beaucoup des oiseaux!

En plus du billet de ma sœur et de Twitter je viens de voir un épisode de Grey's Anatomy intitulé Kung Fu Fighting dans lequel Izzie assiste Hahn en bloc opératoire: elles doivent opérer un patient du cœur alors qu'il est conscient parcequ'il est allergique à l'anesthésie. Et ce patient, et bien c'est un "bird watcher"; un amateur d'oiseaux qui non seulement les observe mais arrive même à associer leurs caractéristiques aux humains autour de lui (pendant l'opération, l'homme panique en voyant tous les médecins dans la salle d'observation et Izzie le convainc que c'est tout à fait le contraire et que c'est lui qui observe tout ce beau monde animal). Et bien entendu, je vous ai trouvé la vidéo; merci YouTube :-)

Pas la plus extraordinaire scène de la série mais bon... LES OISEAUX QUOI!! C'était bien ça le sujet non?

Alors? Trois histoires d'oiseaux en une seule nuit... En une seule heure même! On dit bien "un oiseau de mauvais augure" non?... Je dois m'inquiéter? C'est pas très clair tout ça, comme présage on fait mieux, mais bon. On s'en tiendra à ça.

Bonne nuit!

Today...

... I'm going through

Greg Rutter's Definitive List of The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You're a Loser or Old or Something


And here's some of the fun stuff (didn't see all the list yet):

Just saw this...

... On Jimmy Kimmel Live on Star World
(which is not really "live" since these are old episodes... anyway)

& I had to YouTube the thing!!
Hilarious!!!! :-)

Happy Easter!

A little bit late, but better late than never, right? :-)

So, I have been away, I know. And to my utmost despair, that includes being away from Facebook and Twitter too!! :-P

It's just that I've started a new project and I'll be busy until mid-June, which is quite good actually. I like being busy.

I'll try to pass by as soon as possible :-)

Cheers!

An article worth forwarding... to your boss :-)

I should probably start by introducing this article instead of just copying and pasting all the time :-)

I worked as an employee for six or seven years and I was always one of those who preferred monitoring (if not restricting) "fun" sites at the workplace because they can become dangerous distractions. I used to hate MSN (which was the most popular at the time) because we would use it for work to communicate free of charge with colleagues at various offices in different countries. Naturally, this meant being "online" all day and of course, friends buzzing every two seconds. So some of the managers required specific work MSN accounts... This was a total waste of time of course because so many programs can accommodate several MSN accounts, and even several chatting softwares on one single platform.

Now, with the new mobile phones, nothing can be restricted obviously. If you can't access your Facebook on the company desktop/laptop, you can still be connected all day on your phone.

It is undeniable that when these networking platforms are addictive and when they become an addiction, they will affect work performance. There is no doubt that some people (consciously or not) look for distractions anywhere and everywhere just to do almost anything else but work. But it is also true that to the ethical worker, these platforms can be a breath of fresh air. Pretty much like those cigarettes breaks. Some employees abuse them since offices became smoke-free (another excuse to get out) and some can manage some self-control. At the end of the day it is impossible to keep everyone chained to their desks.

But if "fun" platforms and chat programs are allowed on company computers, maybe people will chain themselves! At least, they would be less inclined to "get out" since this breath of fresh air can be enjoyed even while working.

The Internet and these networking platforms are becoming (have become) inherent to our daily lives just like mobile phones. Who could ever imagine life without a mobile nowadays? So basically, companies should adapt the workplace to embrace these new technologies (after all, no company can restrict mobile phone usage and wouldn't think of it; some do have rules about usage during meetings, but that is the extent of it) and make these sites and programs tools to better productivity rather than turning them into enemies. Introducing company groups on Facebook, Twitter, chatting programs, etc. can be a good alternative and indirect mean to keep the usage of these platforms focused on work issues while helping in enhancing productivity and performance.

The Internet is already used for training purposes but integrating these educational needs within platforms and sites that are well-known and familiar to the employees can even be an incentive for continuous learning and seeking advice, tips, sharing ideas, brainstorming, etc.

The following article presents some interesting findings in that area.

Of course, there's always the "haters" :-) (see second article)

Twitter, Facebook Can Improve Work Productivity

Carrie-Ann Skinner, PC Advisor
Thursday, April 02, 2009 9:00 AM PDT

Using Twitter and Facebook at work will make you a better employee, says the University of Melbourne.

According to a study by the Australian University, 70 percent of office employees use the internet at work for personal reasons. Of them, nine percent were more productive compared to employees that didn't use the web for fun.

"Workplace internet leisure browsing (WILB) can help sharpen workers' concentration," said Brent Coker, from the University's department of management and marketing. "People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration."

Coker defined WLIB activities as browsing the web for information and reviews of products, reading online news sites, playing online games, keeping up-to-date with friends activities on social networking sites and watching videos on YouTube.

"Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days' work, and as a result, increased productivity," he added.

"Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online under the pretence that it costs millions in lost productivity That's not always the case."

Cooker said the study reflected people who browsed the web of 20 percent or less of their working day.

"Those who behave with internet addiction tendencies will have a lower productivity than those without," he added.

--

Simon Cowell criticises fellow celebrities for Twitter obsession

Talent show producer Simon Cowell has hit out at the Twitter craze in which celebrities have been publishing updates about their day to day activities.

By Alastair Jamieson
Last Updated: 9:16AM BST 02 Apr 2009


The X Factor guru criticised friends who use the micro-blogging site where users constantly reveal tiny details of their lives.

Mr Cowell, 49, said told American television viewers: "Why would you want to talk to people like that? It's like phoning someone randomly whose number you don't even have and saying: 'Hi, it's Simon, I went out with my family this weekend'."

He is thought to have lost patience when American Idol co-host Ryan Seacrest used his Twitter page to describe Mr Cowell as looking old.

The criticism follows a survey which identified Russell Brand as the most self-obsessed British celebrity based on usage of Twitter.

Celebrity gossip website Holy Moly analysed stars' use of the site and accused them of using it purely to promote themselves.

It found that comedian Brand has 143,548 fans following his regular updates of his antics but is only interested in 14 fellow Twitterers enough to bother following their progress. One of those is Jonathan Ross while another is fellow comic David Baddiel.

The huge gulf between his followers and those he is following sees Brand tops Holy Moly's 'Celebrity Twitter Narcissism Rating' with a score of 99.9902 per cent.

Singer Lily Allen, 23, apparently has almost as big an ego as Brand with a rating of 99.9900 per cent, according to the research. The singer has 101,500 followers but is tracking just 10 people – including fellow pop star Britney Spears, model Alexa Chung and comic Alan Carr.

Third in the showbiz league of shame was outspoken DJ Chris Moyle, who has 106,013 followers but is following just 13 people. His rating is 99.9877 per cent.

Among British celebrities, Twitter addict Stephen Fry has the most followers, with 348,699. Fry, who recently gave fans a running commentary when stuck for an hour in a lift at London's Centre Point building, has somehow found time to track 55,251 fellow Twitterers.

A "Worth It" Copy-Paste :-)

Directors, Screenwriters and Actors on Twitter

Posted on Monday, April 6th, 2009 at 6:00 am by: Peter Sciretta

In March, we published the first definitive listing of screenwriters, directors and actors on Twitter. But that posting quickly outgrew our original image-based format. With dozens of new additions per week, I thought we’d completely revamp the list.

Directors:
Judd Apatow - 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People
Eric Appel - FunnyorDie director: Gobstopper, Bacon’d!
Darren Lynn Bousman - Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Repo! The Genetic Opera
David Bruckner - The Signal
Wes Craven - Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream
Fred Durst - The Education of Charlie Banks, The Longshots
Dan Eckman - Mystery Team
Jon Favreau - Iron Man, Made, Zathura, Elf
Paul Feig - Freaks & Geeks, Unaccompanied Minors, I Am David
Ruben Fleischer - Zombieland
Ari Gold - The Adventures of Power
James Gunn - Slither
Jon Hurwitz - Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
Rian Johnson - Brick, The Brothers Bloom
Duncan Jones - Moon
Robert Luketic - Monster in Law, Legally Blonde, 21
David Lynch - Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr., Eraserhead, Dune
Joe Lynch - Wrong Turn 2
Jason Matzner - Dreamland
Errol Morris - The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line
Greg Mottola - The Daytrippers, Superbad, Adventureland
Mark Romanek - One Hour Photo
David Silverman - The Simpsons Movie
David Slade - Hard Candy
Kevin Smith - Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jersey Girl, Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Ondi Timoner - DiG!, We Live in Public
Lee Unkrich - Toy Story 3, co-director of Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc, Toy Story 2

Screenwriters and Actors after the jump.

Screenwriters:
John August - Go, Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, Corpse Bride, The Nines
Roger Avary - Pulp Fiction, Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction, Silent Hill, Beowulf
Greg Behrendt - Author of He’s Just Not That Into You, Consultant for Sex and the City
Diablo Cody - Juno, The United States of Tara, Jennifer’s Body
Paul Cornell - Doctor Who, Robin Hood, Primeval
Neil Gaiman - Mirror Mask, Beowulf, Coraline
Josh Heald - Hot Tub Time Machine
Jonathan King - Black Sheep
Brian Lynch - Big Helium Dog, Puss in Boots, Nightcrawlers
Bryan Lee O’Malley - Scott Pilgrim (comic book writer)
Seth MacFarlane - Family Guy
James Moran - Severance, Primeval
J.R. Orci - Fringe, Journeyman
Eric Roth - Forrest Gump, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Nicholas Stoller - Undeclared, Fun with Dick and Jane, Blades of Glory, Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Producers:
Kathleen Kennedy -Schindler’s List, The Sixth Sense, Jurassic Park
Frank Marshall - Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, E.T.

Actors/Actresses:
Aziz Ansari - Funny People, Human Giant
Steve Agee - The Sarah Silverman Program, Sleeping Dogs Lie
Elizabeth Banks - Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The 40 Year Old Virgin, W., Role Models
Todd Barry - The Wrestler, The Sarah Silverman Program
Mischa Barton - The O.C., Assassination of a High School President
Brian Baumgartner - The Office, License To Wed, Four Christmases
Amber Benson - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Michael Ian Black - Reaper, The State, Run Fatboy Run, Wet Hot American Summer
David Blue - Stargate Universe, Ugly Betty
Russell Brand - Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to The Greek
LeVar Burton - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Nick Cannon - Bobby, Weapons, Day of the Dead, The Killing Room
John Cleese - A Fish Called Wanda, Monty Python and the Holly Grail, Life of Brian
Dane Cook - My Best Friend’s Girl, Dan in Real Life, Mr. Brooks, Employee of the Month
Rob Corddry - The Daily Show, Harold and Kumar 2, Semi-Pro, Blades of Glory
Miranda Cosgrove - iCarly, Drake & Josh, The School of Rock, Yours Mine Ours
Miley Cyrus - Bolt, Hannah Montana, Big Fish
Kat Dennings - Nick and Norah’s Infinate Playlist, The 40 Year Old Virgin Charlie Bartlett
Dominic Dierkes - Mystery Team
Fran Drescher - The Nanny, Jack, UHF, Saturday Night Fever
Jimmy Fallon - Fever Pitch, Taxi, Almost Famous
Tom Felton - the Harry Potter movies
Sean Patrick Flanery - The Boondock Saints, Powder, Dead Zone
Stephen Fry - V for Vendetta, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Don Glover - Mystery Team
Megan Good - The Unborn, Saw V, Brick, DEBS
Brea Grant - Heroes, Friday Night Lights, H2
Greg Grunberg - Heroes, Mission: Impossible III, Alias, Felicity
Jackie Guerra - Selena, Picking up the Pieces
Mariel Hemingway - Lipstick, Manhattan, Superman IV
David Hewlett - Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, Cube
Kate Hewlett - Stargate: Atlantis, Dark Water
Rob Huebel - Human Giant, I Love You Man
Eddie Izzard - Valkyrie, Across The Universe, Chronicles of Narnia, Ocean’s Twelve
Hugh Jackman - X-Men, Wolverine, The Fountain, Australia
Ashton Kutcher - The Butterfly Effect, Dude, Where’s My Car?, What Happens in Vegas
Ricki Lake - Serial Mom, Hairspray, Cry-Baby, Working Girl
James Kyson Lee - Heroes
Samm Levine - Freaks & Geeks, Pulse, Sydney White, Inglourious Basterds
Faizon Love - Elf, Made
Ewan Macintosh - The Office, Little Britain
Danny Masterson - Yes Man, That 70’s Show
Chris Mintz-Plasse - Superbad, Kick-Ass, The Year One, Role Models
Demi Moore - Ghost, A Few Good Men, G.I. Jane, Striptease
Mandy Moore - A Walk To Remember, Saved!, American Dreamz, Southland Tales
D.C. Pierson - Mystery Team
Aubrey Plaza - Funny People, Mystery Team, Scott Pillgrim vs. The World
Kevin Pollak - Ricochet, End of Days, A Few Good Men, The Wedding Planner
Emma Roberts - Wild Child, Hotel for Dogs, The Winning Season, Nancy Drew, Unfabulous
Emmy Rossum - Mystic River, Day After Tomorrow, Phantom of the Opera, Poseidon, Dragonball
Paul Scheer - Human Giant
William Shatner - Star Trek, Boston Legal, Over the Hedge, Free Enterprise
Kevin Spacey - American Beauty, LA Confidential

, The Usual Suspects
Brent Spiner - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Martin Starr - Adventureland, Superbad, Knocked Up, Freaks & Geeks
Michael Stephenson - Troll 2, Best Worst Movie
Emma Stone - SuperBad, Zombieland
George Takei - Star Trek, Heroes
Ashley Tisdale - High School Musical
Robin Williams - Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Aladdin
Rumer Willis - Sorority Row, The House Bunny
Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense, Band of Brothers, Saw II - V, Righteous Kill
Wil Wheaton - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Rainn Wilson - Juno, The Rocker, The Office

And as always, you can find me at:

/Film Contributors: Dave Chen, Devindra Hardawar, Adam Quigley, Hunter Stephenson, Brendon Connelly, Kevin Kelly, Steve Mason

Listing Rules:

I’ve tried to concentrate on working actors over celebrities (for example, I didn’t include Britney Spears). I’ve tried to put everyone in the category that they are best known for. For example, Kevin Smith is better known as a director than actor or writer and Roger Avary is better known as a writer than director (at this point).

So that the list doesn’t get too crowded, I’m only going to include actors, writers and directors that have had a major film released (with a few exceptions). We now have nearly 100 twitter accounts! I’m sure there might be some people I missed (especially in the screenwriter section). If you know of any credited screenwriters, directors or actors that we may have missed, please leave their Twitter names in the comments below.

Updates:

3/6/09: List first published
3/6/09: Donald Glover, Roger Avary, David Hewlett, Kate Hewlett, Brea Grant, Mark Romanek, David Wain, Jon Hurwitz, Joe Lynch, David Bruckner, James Moran, Michael Stephenson, Sean Flanery
3/23/09: Aubrey Plaza, Rian Johnson, Faizon Love, David Blue, James Kyson Lee, Jonathan King, Aziz Ansari, John Cleese, Danny Masterson
4/5/09: D.C. Pierson, J.R. Orci, Eddie Izzard, Ari Gold, Megan Good, Lee Unkrich, Paul Feig, Mandy Moore, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Baumgartner, Paul Cornell, Eric Appel, Mischa Barton, Kat Dennings, Emma Roberts, Robert Luketic, Miranda Cosgrove, Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Kevin Spacey, LeVar Burton, Tom Felton, Jason Matzner, Jackie Guerra, Martin Starr, Judd Apatow, Hugh Jackman, JJ Abrams confirmed fake by greggrunberg, Emma Stone, Ruben Fleischer, Eric Roth, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Errol Morris, Rob Huebel, Dominic Dierkes,

sources: Cinetuyoymio, valebrity.com, ScreenRider, nitroslick, danlight, jasmined , webconnoisseur, Scott Weinberg, hollywoodchain, JoshDaws, Jesse Luna, tursini, Filmstew

facebooking at the airport lounge

This one is dedicated to my hubby & brother ;-)

Taken by Rouba Abouzeid
On Sunday, April 1st, 2009
Lounge at Beirut Airport, Lebanon

uʍop ǝpısdn

Check our Video here!!!

ʎɐp ,slooɟ lıɹdɐ ɟo ɹouoɥ uı uʍop ǝpısdn sdılɟ ǝqnʇnoʎ

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

YouTube flipped Barack Obama and co upside down for April Fools' Day 2009

The internet rarely offers respite from the raft of April Fools' Day jokes doing the rounds and today was no exception as YouTube went upside-down.

Users of the video-sharing site were left bamboozled this morning when upon arriving at the YouTube homepage and clicking on a video they were turned upside down.

The footage and the related text links all went through a 180 degrees rotation, leaving the watcher feeling distinctly unnerved.

It meant news videos like the arrival of US president Barack Obama at Downing Street ahead of the G20 summit in London took on an all-together different hue.

In true April 1st fashion, YouTube tried to convince its users that the change was a deliberate attempt to improve the viewing experience.

"At YouTube, we're always looking to improve the way you watch videos online," site bosses wrote in a related post.

"As part of that, today we're excited to introduce our new page layout. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your new YouTube viewing experience:"

YouTube then went on to detail three ways – complete with descriptive diagrams – users could maximise the new 'feature'.

It said "internal tests have shown that modern computer monitors give a higher quality picture when flipped upside down" and advised users to either i) turn their monitors upside down, 2) tilt your head to one side or 3) move to Australia.

For users who want to experience the upside-down world post April Fools' Day, YouTube have helpfully enabled any video to do a 180 just by adding the code &flip=1 to the end of the required URL.

Elsewhere on the web, YouTube parent company Google had its annual hoax at our expense – this year it unleashed DENNIS ("Dimensional, Elastic, Non-Linear, Network-Neutral, Inertial Sequencing") on the world.

In a post on its Australian blog, it claimed engineers had developed a gBall – a ball for Aussie Rules Football which had GPS and a motion sensor inbuilt.

Apparently the ball could automatically measure kicks, offer playing tips and even vibrate if there were talent scouts wanting to speak to you.

"We're not murderers; plastic surgeons have a bad enough image problem as it is"

I've never watched Nip/Tuck but I've heard a lot about it.

I've been at my parents' house for the past 20 days and they get FOX SERIES. I took the habit of checking it as I zap through the channels although they've just started and are still on Season 1 of stuff we've already watched (like ER, Desperate Housewives, CSI Miami, etc.)

I noticed that they were showing Nip/Tuck and I was curious to check it out but since I don't have FOX SERIES at home, and I don't like to start with a program from the middle especially if I can't finish it; I refrained from watching altogether.

However, the other day I was watching TV and zapping randomly and fell on an episode of Nip/Tuck so I watched for a little while.

I didn't get a thing because the episode had already started for some time but two events really made me laugh my a$ off:

1) Apparently, some criminal had requested a new face (literally) from the plastic surgeons who agreed. It was obvious that this agreement was not smooth as the "bad guy" threatened that one of his men would stay in the OR and would kill the surgeons should the latter attempt to kill him during surgery (Trust is nice!). So one of the surgeons says:

"We're not murderers; plastic surgeons have a bad enough image problem as it is"

TOTALLY LOVED IT!! :-)

And I found it, just for you :-) enjoy!

2) This same surgeons' wife or girlfriend (I don't know) is in labor and he is the one delivering the baby in the OR. So he is the first to take the baby "out" and hold him. At first we just see the doctor's face and it looks like there's something weird going on down "there"... Then he holds the baby up close to his face... And the baby is black. Not that there's anything wrong with black babies, only both parents are... you guessed... white.

The situation itself is not so funny, but the doctor's face as he holds the baby was priceless! It was hilarious!